Maddy summaryThis bill requires drivers to stop at least 25 feet from school buses loading/unloading children or individuals with developmental disabilities on undivided highways, and to slow to 10 mph on divided highways. It establishes that violations captured by school bus monitoring systems (like cameras) will result in a $300 civil penalty instead of criminal charges or license points. The law directly affects drivers near school buses, school bus operators, and enforcement agencies. Key provisions include standardized stopping distances, speed limits for divided highways, and shifting penalties for monitored violations to a civil fine system. This changes enforcement by prioritizing evidence from monitoring systems to reduce penalties for documented violations.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill creates the "New Jersey Reparations Task Force" to research and develop proposals addressing generational harms from New Jersey's role in slavery and systemic racial discrimination. The task force will examine historical and current disparities affecting Black communities, including voter disenfranchisement, youth incarceration rates, housing discrimination, wealth gaps, and school segregation. It will produce a report with policy recommendations for state-based reparations based on documented harms. The bill directly affects Black residents of New Jersey who face these systemic inequities, as outlined in the legislative findings.
Maddy summaryNew Jersey's Bill A1696 updates optometrists' scope of practice by expanding their ability to provide eye care services. The bill allows optometrists to prescribe pharmaceutical agents (including controlled substances under specific conditions), administer immunizations for coronaviruses, flu, and shingles (for patients 18+), and perform minor procedures like removing superficial foreign bodies or treating chalazions. It also permits certain non-invasive laser/ultrasound treatments (e.g., trabeculoplasty) using only topical anesthesia, while explicitly prohibiting invasive eye surgery, orbital procedures, or general anesthesia. These changes apply to all optometrists practicing in New Jersey and require adherence to CDC guidelines for immunizations and reporting to the state immunization registry.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates the New Jersey-Africa Commission to strengthen ties between New Jersey and African nations. The commission, with 21 members (including five state cabinet officials serving in their official roles and 16 public members appointed by legislative leaders and the governor), will organize into five committees focused on economic development, education, health, culture/tourism, and agriculture. It must report annually to the governor and legislature with recommendations for cultural, trade, governmental, and educational exchanges. The commission aims to facilitate direct connections between New Jersey businesses, institutions, and African counterparts, without making specific policy changes.
Maddy summaryThis bill excludes the first $5,000 earned annually as a community outreach worker in health promotion or disease prevention programs from income calculations for New Jersey's Medicaid (NJ FamilyCare), Work First New Jersey (WFNJ), and SNAP programs. It directly affects low-income individuals working temporary, hourly or stipend-based roles with non-profits, health systems, or local health departments - where they connect communities to health services. The key provision ensures this modest income isn’t counted toward eligibility thresholds, preventing beneficiaries from losing assistance due to small earnings. The bill defines "health promotion" as programs empowering healthy behaviors and "disease prevention" as reducing health risks, applying to all three state assistance programs. It requires state agencies to update eligibility rules to implement this change.
Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (A 1736) prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing masks or disguises during public interactions while performing official duties. It directly affects all state, county, and municipal officers authorized to enforce laws, including federal officers working in New Jersey. Key exceptions include undercover operations, face shields not hiding the face, medical masks with a doctor's note, and smoke protection during emergencies. Violations are classified as disorderly persons offenses, punishable by fines up to $1,000 or up to six months in jail. The bill takes immediate effect upon passage.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends New Jersey law to improve transparency and fairness when filling vacancies in primary election nominations for public office. It requires committees (state, county, or district) to provide written notice of their interest in filling a vacancy, and then must share a complete list of committee members (including contact details) within 72 hours. The bill also guarantees that interested candidates may use legal representation throughout the selection process and mandates that committees post this list online and use secret ballots for voting. These changes apply specifically to vacancies occurring before the general election, affecting candidates and committees involved in primary nomination selections.
Maddy summaryThis bill (A3984) modifies how New Jersey public contracting units - including counties, municipalities, school districts, and public universities - procure construction services. It requires that cooperative purchasing agreements for construction must be competitively bid by a New Jersey contracting unit and comply with public works bidding rules, while prohibiting time-and-materials contracts for projects covered by prevailing wage laws. The bill also allows these units to use indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contracts for goods or services without final project plans, provided bids remain open and competitive. These changes aim to standardize procurement processes and ensure cost-effectiveness for public spending.
Maddy summaryThis bill (A 2576) requires New Jersey's Division of Child Protection and Permanency to allow adoptive parents receiving adoption subsidies to choose direct deposit into their bank account instead of paper checks. It directly affects adoptive parents who qualify for state-funded adoption subsidies under existing law. The key provision mandates that payments be made via direct deposit upon the adoptive parent's written request, replacing the current system of mailing paper checks. This change aims to streamline payments while maintaining eligibility criteria for children classified as "hard to place" for adoption.
Maddy summaryThis bill standardizes pension benefits for New Jersey teachers by moving all current non-retired members of the Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund (TPAF) into a single benefit tier (previously called "Tier 1"), granting them the same retirement benefits as members who joined before July 1, 2007. It requires public employers to enroll teachers earning above minimum salary but not meeting work-hour requirements into TAPF within 60 days of enactment. Teachers in the separate Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) can automatically transfer their service credit to TAPF for retirement eligibility (but not pension amount calculations), with contributions staying in DCRP; they may opt out within six months of notification. The bill also allows TAPF members with long-term disability insurance to apply for disability retirement within two years of enactment.